A Fork in the Road
by Megageeko
Summary: A collection of "What if"s for the show, going through potential paths or ways for the story to unfold. Pairings and warnings will be updated with each new chapter. If you have any ideas for "what if"s then feel free t leave them in a review
1. Index

1. Index

2. What if August hadn't gotten to Neal?


	2. What if August hadn't gotten to Neal?

It had been going so well, they had gotten the watches and pawned them without a hitch, keeping only one. They had been on their way to Tallahassee when it hit them that something was definitely not right. Neal couldn't explain it, but he had a gnawing sense of panic within him, one he hadn't felt for a long while, and Emma felt the same.

That should have been the first clue, that should have been the moment that they changed their plans, found a new hideaway and laid low. They had their hearts set on Tallahassee, though, so they ignored the sense of worry and went ahead.

That had almost been their undoing. Someone had tipped the police off to them, and they had barely reached a motel to stay at while they hunted for houses before they had to take off again. Whoever had tipped the police off had been thorough, and it was a miracle that they had avoided capture.

They had been on the road for two weeks, avoiding major cities and living out of their car. It wasn't the ending they had planned on, and Neal was going to make sure that it wasn't the one they had.

Their money stayed in a locked travel box, under the passenger's seat, and they found themselves resorting to petty stealing in order to get food sometimes. Can't afford to spend too much money, they told themselves, they would need it for an emergency.

They travelled for a total of two weeks before they got lost somewhere in Maine, woods all around them.

"We're lost," Emma said flatly, looking out the window as trees went by.

"I'm... Aware..." Neal said slowly, hands tightening on the wheel for a moment before relaxing.

"We're almost out of gas," she added, leaning to glance at the gauge.

"We'll find a town soon, and then we can buy some gas." Neal looked at the terrain around them.

Emma said nothing to that, and it was only a few more minutes before they came across a sign announcing the town they were approaching.

" 'Storybrooke'? Never heard of it." Emma made a face, trying to think of if she had ever heard of the place in any way.

"It's probably one of those small towns that's never on any maps that weren't made locally..." The wheels in Neal's head were turning already.

"What're you thinking?" Emma rested her forehead against the window, watching him.

"A town this small probably hasn't gotten any alerts to be watching for a couple of thieves." They had already passed the sign and were on their way toward the town.

"So we could lay low here for a while," Emma said, getting it immediately. "But what if they have gotten a notice?"

Neal hummed in thought. "I'll just have to take a fake name, I suppose," he said, "How about... Neal Deaton?"

Emma gave him a look. "Neal, we want to avoid any chance that they might recognize you. Keeping your first name won't help with that. How about... Bailey Nealson?" She seemed satisfied with herself for having thought it up.

Neal bit the inside of his cheek at that, because that was hitting a bit too close to home for him. "Why Bailey?" He asked, surprised at how neutral his voice managed to sound as he spoke.

"You look like a Bailey," Emma said, "and I won't need a fake name, because they're only looking for you."

Neal said nothing for a few seconds, mind flying to try and come up with a different name that he could use, a name that didn't remind him of the life he had been trying to forget for so long of a time.

But his wits forsaked him, and he found that he could not think of another name to use. Finally, he nodded. "Bailey it is." And Emma reached over and pulled him into a hug, making a happy noise at the fact that he'd agreed.

He could do this, taking the name she'd chosen had made Emma happy, and it wasn't like she knew why he would be against it. He could do this. He wasn't controlled by his past, and a name was just a name.

That's what he kept telling himself.

Emma laughed, playing with his hair. "C'mon, we need to go get ourselves a place to stay. It'll be nice to take an actual shower for the first time in forever." She stepped away, turning to head into the gas station just as the gas pump finished up.

Finding a place to stay turned out to be surprisingly easy, as there was only one inn in the town, and there wasn't anyone staying in it. Within half an hour they had a room and were getting some of their things unpacked.

"They seemed pretty surprised for people from out of town to be here," Emma commented as she started laying her few articles of clothing out on the bed.

"Well, it's a pretty small town, and it's pretty out-of-the-way." Neal hanged the dreamcatcher up by the window, turning to look at Emma.

Emma gave him a grin. "Well, looks like we're officially settled, then."

It wouldn't be until later that night that they left the inn, going for dinner at the diner that the innkeeper owned. Both of them were happy to finally be able to sit down for an actual meal, to be able to relax.

And so the time passed by surprisingly slowly, a full two weeks passed before Neal began to relax. He'd met people from time to time (meeting the sheriff had nearly given him an aneurysm over the fear that he might be recognized), but for the most part he stayed in their room in the inn.

The strangest occurrences, by Emma's recount, happened when she went out without him.

"-I'm just saying, that mayor is completely insane," Emma said as she toweled off her hair, "and if I didn't know any better I would say that she was trying to drive us out of town."

"Emma, honey, you keep coming up with people in this town who are against you. A week ago there was the guy who was too fixated on your name... Mr..."

"Gold. He owns a pawn shop. And the town, apparently. He's... Not horrible, just a bit creepy. The mayor, on the other hand, is satan." She sat on the bed next to him.

"Are you looking for excuses to leave?" Neal asked dryly.

"No." Emma shook her head. "Call me crazy, but I actually like it here... although it would be nice if you ventured out into the sun once in a while."

Neal shifted, sliding up behind her and kissing her shoulder. "But all of the best things happen in the dark," he purred, sliding his lips up toward her neck.

Emma gave a soft laugh. "Oh, so that's what you're after." She turned, catching him in a deep kiss.

Neal set his hands on her hips, pulling her into his lap as they continued kissing. Eventually, they fell back and spread across the bed.

Hours later, when the sun was shining in through the windows, Neal awoke to the feeling of Emma getting out of bed.

"I'm going to go out and spend some time with some people I've met. Try and get out?" She asked him as she pulled on a pair of jeans.

Neal groaned, pushing himself up so he was sitting. "What's in it for me if I do?"

Emma threw a pair of jeans at his head, and that was the only answer he received.

Hours later, Neal finally convinced himself to listen to Emma's sagely advice and wander the town. Aside from a few locals stopping him to chat, he was mostly left to his own devices.

Which, honestly, was how he preferred it. Being left alone gave him time to muse, to let his thoughts work on the area that surrounded him rather than trying to stray back to his past.

After half an hour of wandering, he found himself standing outside of a pawnshop. The name of the man that Emma had mentioned was above the door. Neal tilted his head, looking up at the sign for a moment before moving to head in. No matter where they went, Neal had a talent for finding a pawnshop or a thrift shop. It was a bit of a running gag between him and Emma, and he was certain that she had mentioned the pawnshop specifically for that purpose.

The bell above the door gave a small ring as Neal entered, but a quick glance revealed no one in the front room. Strange, considering the sign said 'open'. Undeterred, Neal walked into the store, eyes scanning the shelves of clutter. His lips twitched in amusement, whoever owned this store was as much of a packrat as he himself was.

His fingers traced over the rim of a glass case; he could lose himself for days in this store, just looking through the different secrets that the shop had to offer.

He didn't watch where he was going, eyes more focused on the shelves, and therefore almost tripped over something that had been in his path.

After regaining his footing, miraculously managing to not knock anything to the ground or to break anything, Neal looked to the ground, eyes scanning for the offending obstacle that had almost made him break his neck.

It only took him a few seconds to spot it, and as he knelt to pick it up his breath caught painfully in his chest. The old ball could have been anything, could have been a coincidence, but something within him ached and burned in a raw way that he had been covering for years.

He slowly got back to his feet, turning the ball over in his hands. He'd remembered it being bigger, but he had been younger then, more hope in his eyes, fewer scars over his heart.

But how could it have gotten here?

Neal's lips silently formed around the word, the silent reminder of his past that he would never be able to rid himself of. The nightmares had lasted an eternity and a half and yet the word still pulled at him.

"Papa..." he thought in near-despair, setting the ball on a shelf and taking a much closer look at the rest of the items, searching for a hidden meaning behind them, "what did you do?"

Somewhere behind him, a man cleared his throat.

Neal closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath before turning. Who he saw was exactly who he had expected, but that did nothing to lessen the tightening in his gut.

Rumplestiltskin gave him a slick smile. "Hello there, I don't believe I've seen you around before." Neal had to look away, turning back to the shelves.

"Yeah, well, my-ah-my girlfriend and I ended up in town and are staying for a while." He held back a wince, knowing that his voice wasn't anywhere near as confident as he would have liked it to sound.

"Ah, so you're with Emma, then." Neal grit his teeth at the way Rumplestiltskin said Emma's name, at the way his eyes bore into Neal's neck.

"Yes. Yes I am." His hand moved back to the ball for a moment, and before he could remove his fingers Rumplestiltskin had taken note.

"Interesting item to take an interest in, Mr..."

"Nealson." Neal didn't provide the first name, knowing that Rumplestiltskin was working him into a corner. Almost unconscious of the act, he took a step away from the imp. "And is it? It seems fairly ordinary." He spoke slowly, keeping the words from wavering in even the slightest.

"Yes, it is indeed." Neal breathed in through his nose when he realized how cold Rumplestiltskin's voice sounded. The thought came to him that perhaps Rumplestiltskin hadn't recognized him, hadn't made the connection.

Incomprehensibly, indignation and anger coiled in his chest at the thought.

"Well, that's very interesting," Neal said snippily, once again stepping away from Rumplestiltskin as he realized that the imp had moved closer, "but I think that maybe I should be leaving." He moved to step around Rumplestiltskin, still not looking at him, only for the imp to catch his left wrist.

Neal let out a hiss of pain at the strength of Rumplestiltskin's grip around his wrist. He found himself now hoping that Rumplestiltskin hadn't recognized him after all, that the imp wouldn't do this to his own son.

"You're not looking at me, Mr. Nealson, very suspicious," Rumplestiltskin said coldly. "I don't like it when people give me reason to be suspicious."

"Let go of my wrist," Neal grit out, trying to yank his wrist from Rumplestiltskin's grip, only to have it tightened.

"What are you hiding?" Rumplestiltskin hissed.

"Nothing!" The grip tightened.

"Liar! What are you hiding?"

"I'm n-not!" The pain mounted, and Neal suddenly remembered all of the terror he'd felt after his father had become the dark one, the fear that this exact thing would happen to him should Rumplestiltskin forget himself for a moment too long.

"Tell me!"

"Papa, you're hurting me!" Neal finally snapped out, eyes finally locking onto Rumplestiltskin as the words escaped him.

Rumplestiltskin released him immediately, stumbling as though he'd been struck.

Neal stumbled from the sudden release, falling to the floor and landing awkwardly on the wrist that Rumplestiltskin had been clutching. He gave a shout of pain as he felt something break in the wrist.

"Bae," Rumplestiltskin gasped out, hurrying to his side. Neal moved to push him away, breathing sharply as his mind processed the pain he was now dealing with.

Rumplestiltskin brushed aside Neal's attempt to shove him away, reaching over and taking his wrist and turning it over.

"Get away from me," Neal ground out, frustration mounting as Rumplestiltskin continued to invade his personal space.

"Oh, Bae..." Rumplestiltskin said softly, suddenly looking at him. For a single instant, he looked nothing like the dark imp that Neal had left behind, and instead he was looking at his papa. Neal blinked, and the moment had passed.

Rumplestiltskin stood. "Come, I'll drive you to the hospital." He set a hand on Neal's shoulder as Neal got to his feet. Neal gave a bitter laugh.

"What, not going to offer to magic it better?" He snapped out.

"There isn't any magic in this world, Bae. You know that. Now come, my car's out back." Rumplestiltskin tried to move him toward the back room, but Neal moved away from him.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Neal snarled.

"Baelfire-"

"_Don't call me that!_"

Rumplestiltskin stumbled back as though slapped, hand tightening around his cane. He was silent for a moment, eyes sliding closed. He looked old.

"Allow me to drive you to the hospital, at least," he finally said, nodding to Neal's wrist, "as apology for causing that."

Neal narrowed his eyes at Rumplestiltskin, moving to go back out the door.

"Do you even know where the hospital is?" Rumplestiltskin asked him before he could get out the door.

Neal silently cursed at the realization, turning back to Rumplestiltskin. He stared at the imp in silence for a few long moments before giving a growling sigh.

"Hospital. But then I never want to see you again."

He pretended he didn't notice the mixture of pain and relief on Rumplestiltskin's face at the words.


End file.
